Capsule assembly machine

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for assembling seed capsule halves formed of compressed vermiculite with cavities in each half cooperating to receive a seed before the halves are joined. The apparatus includes a roller and hopper assembly for providing a feed row of capsule halves that are randomly oriented. The feed row passes by a rotating probe that pushes capsules whose cavities face away from the probe into a row that forms capsule covers and allows capsule halves whose cavities face the probe to continue on to form a row of capsule bottoms. A vacuum drum singulator deposits seeds individually into the cavities of the capsule bottoms and the latter approach an assembly station that also receives the capsule covers with their cavities face down. At the assembly station a glue pump deposits drops of liquid on the capsule bottoms whereupon the capsule covers are superposed thereon and cam operated pressers squeeze the two parts together to complete the capsule. The conveyor that brings the capsule bottoms to the assembly station operates at a speed higher than that required to match the rate of cover input and means are provided to reject any excess of capsules before they reach that conveyor. The same conveyor also rejects broken capsule bottoms.

United States Patent 1 1 Brink et a1.

1 1 CAPSULE ASSEMBLY MACHINE [76] Inventors: Edwin H. Brink, 1748 Marlyn Way.

San Jose, Calif. 95125; Robert K. Houston, 3396 Mauricia Ave.. Santa Clara. Calif. 95051 [22] Filed: Nov. 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 413,088

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 244,484, April 17, 1972. Pat.

Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein Assistant Examiner-Douglas Salser Attorney, Agent, or Firm-C. E. Tripp 1 1 May 20, 1975 [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for assembling seed capsule halves formed of compressed vermiculite with cavities in each half cooperating to receive a seed before the halves are joined. The apparatus includes a roller and hopper assembly for providing a feed row of capsule halves that are randomly oriented. The feed row passes by a rotating probe that pushes capsules whose cavities face away from the probe into a row that forms capsule covers and allows capsule halves whose cavities face the probe to continue on to form a row of capsule bottoms. A vacuum drum singulator deposits seeds individually into the cavities of the capsule bottoms and the latter approach an assembly station that also receives the capsule covers with their cavities face down. At the assembly station a glue pump deposits drops of liquid on the capsule bottoms whereupon the capsule covers are superposed thereon and cam operated pressers squeeze the two parts together to complate the capsule. The conveyor that brings the capsule bottoms to the assembly station operates at a speed higher than that required to match the rate of cover input and means are provided to reject any excess of capsules before they reach that conveyor. The same conveyor also rejects broken capsule bottoms.

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1. Apparatus for applying adhesive to capsule discs comprising a conveyor for a row of the discs, a rotating star wheel having pockets for receiving the discs from said row, an adhesive dispenser above one of said star wheel pockets and timed to deposit adhesive on each underlying disc, a movable stop positioned at said conveyor for leaving a predetermined number of the discs between the stop and said adhesive dispenser, a capsule disc detector just upstream of said stop, and control means connected between said detector and said adhesive dispenser, said control means including count-producing means activated when said disc detector determines that an empty space rather than a disc is positioned just upstream of said stop, the activated countproducing means then counting off said predetermined number of discs between said stop and said dispenser position, said control means interposing said stop when no capsule disc is present just upstream of said stop, said control means thereafter interrupting dispenser operation after said predetermined number of capsule discs between said stop and said dispenser have been advanced under the dispenser.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means withdraws said stop upon sensing of a capsule disc by said detector and thereafter restores operation of said dispenser after said predetermined number of capsule halves passes by said detector in a continuous row.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising electro magnetic means for operating said adhesive dispenser, dispenser operation signal means movabLe in synchronism with said star wheel, and control means connecting said signal means to the electromagnetic operating means for said dispenser.
 4. Apparatus for depositing a droplet of an adhesive on a seed capsule half or the like, said apparatus comprising an adhesive chamber having a liquid dispensing passageway in its bottom wall, a dispensing pin in said chamber that fits snugly within said passageway, means for supplying adhesive to said chamber, pin operating means for lowering said pin into and through to the bottom of said passageway to eject the droplet of adhesive which is contained in said passageway and for subsequently raising said pin so as to clear said passageway, means for feeding capsule halves or the like beneath said chamber, and control means for lowering said dispensing pin when a capsule half is beneath said chamber.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said pin operating means comprises a spring for lowering the pin and a solenoid for raising it, means for sensing the positioning of a capsule half under said adhesive chamber, means for deenergizing said solenoid to permit said spring to lower said dispensing pin when a capsule half is so positioned, and means for energizing the solenoid to raise the dispensing pin before the next capsule half reaches said adhesive chamber. 